This year’s Special Friends weekend was an amazing demonstration of Willow’s heart for those with special needs and disabilities. One of my favorite moments was when I was with a young girl, who has spina bifida and cannot walk unassisted, when she met Joni Eareckson Tada at the fishing derby. Joni’s music and life had inspired this young girl for many years, and she couldn’t wait to meet her face-to-face. This girl’s mom eventually said, “I know she has a question for you Joni. She often gets frustrated because I need to help her get dressed in the morning and she needs my help to do a lot of things. She really is wondering how you handle the issues of independence. What is that like for you?”
Joni shared so openly about the difficulty of relying on others each and every day for basic things. She said, looking straight at this young girl, “This is what I think, ‘How can I depend on God more today as I depend on the people around me?'” And then she said, “I often ask God to help me be a blessing to those around me, who are helping me. How can I be giving to them? How can I help them?”
As I listened and watched this conversation between a young teenage girl with a disability and a wise, gifted woman with her own struggles, who has helped change the US government’s policies on disability, and brought healing and hope throughout the world…I thought, “Here I am watching discipleship happen.” It was as if Joni was raising up a new generation: passing the torch to a young woman, encouraging her to be committed to blessing and giving herself fully to the work of the Lord. What is even neater is this girl attends Willow and she’s going to be an actor in our Annie Jr performance in August. It was so powerful and inspiring. I found myself hungry for God in new ways.
I am grateful for all God did through the Derby and the weekend services: reminding us to depend on Him and inspiring us to care for others in need. It’s so wonderful to be a part of this!
Sarah Springer, Special Friends
